One PS - May 2022 Meeting
One PS May 10, 2022
Hello neighbors,
The One PS meeting was held last Tuesday afternoon May 10th, and as always your neighborhood representatives from Vista Las Palmas attended. This time we were at the Palm Springs Pavilion and it was great to see everyone!
Below are the highlights from the meeting so that you can be fully informed about important issues.
The meeting consisted of the usual staff reports from the various city departments and partners. In addition, there was a report from the main working groups present at the recent City retreat for One PS held on Saturday April 30th, addressing these three issues:
Crime and Security — Neighborhood issues and best practices in combatting crime and the plan to address crime going forward.
Traffic and Speeding — Lack of enforcement.
Other issues such as noise and vacation rentals.
As a result of the retreat, One PS will be forming working groups associated with two of the major topics: Traffic and Crime. This marks a shift for the One PS group who will now play more of a formal advocacy and problem-solving roll-on behalf of the neighborhoods. The City hopes to use the various NORGs (neighborhood organizations) as conduits from the various neighborhoods to the City and vice versa. Information will flow to and from the City via the various NORGs. In the near future, the City will be start “brown bag” lunch sessions to hear about various approaches and strategies to combat the various problems and issues facing Palm Springs. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions, please send an email to Denise Goolsby (email: denise.Goolsby@palmspringsca.gov) who spearheads the working groups.
Mayor Lisa Middleton spoke next to update us on the plans for the city. At the next City Council meeting to be held on Thursday May 12, they will discuss whether they need to approve any military grade equipment for use by the PSPD. It should be noted that this is not a new, but rather a state requirement that any military grade equipment be made known and approved by city council. Either way this will is not as a result of proposed changes to PSPD equipment.
In the latest budget session Mayor Middletown said they are expecting $50 million in TOT in next year’s budget, almost double of what has been on the past. Likewise, the revenues from sales tax will be $30 million (versus $8 million just 11 years ago) as a result of Measure J. Mayor Middleton praised former leadership for voting to invest in Palm Springs.
These new funds give the city a slew of opportunities, such as adding over 50 new positions to be added to City staffing, a 10% increase over today, with many of them in police and fire. In terms of homelessness, starting June 1, the City will be working to re-open the overnight shelter in the Methodist church on Alejo.
This additional TOT revenue could address deferred maintenance on streets, certain city buildings need work and other forms of deferred maintenance.
Update on revision to the noise ordinance proposed by One PS: bass notes should be measured. City council reviewed priorities for 2022, unfortunately the noise ordinance did *not* receive a majority of votes from City Council as a priority.
Justin Clifton the Palm Springs City Manager spoke about efforts to enforce new speed limits around town. The State of California is looking at legislation to put up speed cameras in key communities. Draft legislation has been passed that includes Palm Springs in the pilot program.
See you all next month!
Steve Orr and Gustav Swanson
P.S. Please remember to conserve water. Otherwise, mandatory rationing may be forthcoming.